Freshman 15 College Football: Hurricanes wear down Aggies, Red Raiders take on the Ducks

The opening week of the College Football Playoff has come and gone. Two games were absolute thrillers that had you on the edge of your seat until the end. Meanwhile, the Cinderella stories of Tulane and James Madison had the clock strike midnight and their magical seasons came to an end. Now, in round two, things start to get interesting. 

We have a rematch of a classic National Title meeting. Big money meets bigger money in a battle of the number four and five teams. Yet, before we assess a fantastic slate of games to bring in the new year, let’s have one last look at the opening round of the CFP. 

College Football Playoff Opening Week Recap

Saturday Spotlight: Oklahoma vs. Alabama

Oklahoma had all the momentum to start the game. For a moment, you thought they were going to run Alabama off the field in Norman. The Sooners had established the run early with John Mateer prominently featured. He had five attempts for 26 yards and a score on the first two drives for the Sooners, thinking that Oklahoma had found its path to the win. Alabama was losing the field position battle, and Oklahoma was getting pressure with only four rushers and running a zone behind it that was proving to be effective. 

Alabama needed a spark, and they got freshman Lotzier Brooks. His terrific effort helped Alabama pick up a critical fourth down, which allowed them to get the first score of the game. From there, things started to spiral out of control for Oklahoma.

Mateer threw a terrible pick-six to cap off the Alabama 17-point comeback. Brooks then scored again on a terrific catch on a deep corner route. Daniel Hill gave Alabama enough in the running game in the second half; and once Oklahoma’s Sandell missed the kick, that was all she wrote for the Sooner. 

Upset Special: Texas A&M over Miami (FL)

This was a very ugly game to start between Miami (FL) and Texas A&M. You couldn’t be sure of which team wanted to win. There were so many costly mistakes on both sides, and namely, the Miami special teams units. Hurricanes kicker Carter Davis missed three kicks from inside 50 yards that would have made things much more comfortable for the Hurricanes against Texas A&M. However, on the bright side, Miami did manage to block a field goal attempt itself. 

That said, hats off to both defenses that kept the total points scored to only 13. Give special credit to Miami defensive coordinator Corey Hetherman for containing Marcel Reed. Reed had only 27 yards on 15 attempts and was forced into two interceptions. 

Special shout to Mark Fletcher on the game-winning drive. He had 75 rushing yards before Carson Beck’s touchdown pass to Malachi Toney to give Miami the 10-3 lead. Miami’s defense stands tall one more time at the goal line with the pick to seal the win, setting up a great game against Ohio State. 

Who Hurt Themselves the Most in the first round?

It has to be Oklahoma and Brent Venables. The first round of the CFP is designed to give the home team a clear advantage in playing in their home stadium. When you have an opponent trailing by 17 in your house, in that atmosphere, you’re expected to close the game out and win. Mateer completely fell off the wagon in the second half, and the Oklahoma pass rush vanished entirely after they looked so good earlier in the game.

You have to feel for Sooners fans. It’s their fifth time in the CFP without a single win to show for it. New regime, same results. What happened before Venables isn’t his fault. However, that defensive collapse at home against Alabama is. 

College Football: CFP Round 2 Spotlight and Upset Special

Wednesday Spotlight: Texas Tech vs. Oregon

The game with the most intrigue in this round of the playoffs pits No. Texas Tech versus No. 5 Oregon. It’s a classic case of putting your money where your mouth is. Oregon is famously known for sparing no expense when it comes to using the transfer portal to field a winner. Dan Lanning loves to talk his talk while having one of the best teams money can buy in college football. 

This week, he and his team will be looking at a Texas Tech program that has utilized the transfer portal to field a competitive team for themselves. Dante Moore has had to grow up fast this season in order to navigate a challenging schedule to land Oregon in the CFP, and he will face a lot of pressure from the Red Raiders’ defense. Romello Height and David Bailey will be storming off the edges to meet at the quarterback. Jacob Rodriguez is also an outstanding player for the Texas Tech defense, whose name will be called several times this week. 

Oregon will need a big game from Kenyon Sadiq attacking the middle of the field. Meanwhile, Jayden Limar also needs to run the ball effectively to keep Moore in favorable down and distances. This could be the most exciting game of the week. Ducks and Red Raiders is the game of the week in the Saturday Spotlight. 

Upset Special: Ole Miss Over Georgia

With all that has happened regarding the departure of Lane Kiffin from the program, you don’t feel like it has done anything to take away from the confidence Ole Miss has in itself. Take this week’s Military Bowl, for example. Despite not having their top running back, quarterback, and wide receiver, East Carolina managed to take down the heavily-favored Pitt Panthers. In short, anything is possible, especially when you have a quarterback like Trinidad Chambliss on your team. 

Chambliss has racked up almost 4000 total yards and nearly 30 combined touchdowns this season. He’s a great arm talent and will push the ball downfield to De’Zhaun Stribling and Deuce Alexander. It’s a tall task for a Rebels team that has already been beaten by Georgia and gave up 43 points in the process. However, expect the Ole Miss defense to perform slightly better than it did in the rematch. Expect another shootout between these teams once more, with the Rebels coming out on top thanks to an inspired game plan from interim head coach Pete Golding.